Remedy for Resistance
by Pandemonium King
Summary: For seven years, Nico has been an outcast, the lone son of Hades. Sure, he's had his close friends, but he didn't feel like that was enough. He didn't know what he was missing, until now. Will has been trying to get Nico's attention for seven years. Now, he has an amazing opportunity. All the students at Hogwarts are wondering who the new teacher will be... I'll let you guess...
1. Introduction

**Warnings: Depression, LGBTQ+ characters and ships (if you have a problem with that, you can kindly exit the story and row, row, row your boat gently off a cliff. Thank you)**

 **Note: I may need to add more warnings in the future, if I decide to add more elements to the story that require warnings, such as swearing**

* * *

 **Remedy for Resistance**

 ** _Pandemonium King_**

* * *

Rem•e•dy

 _Noun_

1\. A medicine or treatment for a disease or injury

2\. A means of counteracting or eliminating something undesirable

 _Synonymous for_ _-_

1\. Medicine

2\. Therapy

3\. Fix

4\. Antidote

5\. Drug

6\. Support

* * *

Re•sist•ance

 _Noun_

1\. The refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument

2\. Armed or violent opposition

 _Synonymous for –_

1\. Defiance

2\. Struggle

3\. Fight

4\. Protection

5\. Refusal

6\. Support


	2. Chapter 1: Nico

**Warnings: Depression, LGBTQ+ characters and ships (if you have a problem with that, you can kindly exit the story and row, row, row your boat gently off a cliff. Thank you)**

 **Note: I may need to add more warnings in the future, if I decide to add more elements to the story that require warnings, such as swearing**

* * *

 **Remedy for Resistance**

 ** _Pandemonium King_**

 **Chapter One: Nico**

* * *

Percy had found Hermes's staff. _Again._

He came back from his little quest tired and hungry, he needed some cheering up, but what he didn't know is that that's exactly what he would get.

I once again watched from the sidelines as everyone is the amphitheater yelled "Surprise!" the moment Percy had walked in. "Happy engagement!"

 _Of course everyone had decided to throw Percy a surprise Bachelor Party_ , I thought bitterly. No one threw me a surprise Bachelor Party. Maybe I should get engaged first. A boyfriend would help, too.

It had been seven years since the Giant War, and I'm still depressed and miserable. Percy, who is now twenty four years old, had proposed to Annabeth, who had accepted before he could even start the speech that he wrote just for her. She had gotten the message as soon as he had gotten down on one knee.

I'm twenty one (mentally and physically but not technically), and I have yet to even be in my first relationship. I haven't even had my first kiss yet. How pathetic is that?

I just want to settle down with a nice guy, maybe even get married one day. Hazel and Frank have been dating for years, he hasn't proposed to her yet (I think he's scared of me finding out), but they have an unspoken agreement, like, _we know we're getting married one day, right?_ And then, _yeah, totally._

I also want a husband. It isn't fair.

When all the guys were done swarming around Percy, congratulating him and slapping him on the back, he walked over to the snack table and just stood there, looking around and grinning like an idiot.

I sighed and starting walking over to him. "Hey," I said vaguely. "Congrats."

He grinned wider. "Thanks." His smile faltered, I could see the beginnings of a tear form in his right eye.

"Why are you doing that? Why are you crying? You're happy, aren't you?" I asked skeptically.

"No, no. Of course I'm happy! I'm ecstatic! I just... I just can't believe it," he replied.

"Well believe it. You're getting married, Percy, soon you'll have to be an expert at believing things, just like you have to believe that you'll be getting your degree later on, maybe buying a house with Annabeth," I told him.

"Even having a baby?" He asked a little too hopefully.

I grunted. "Eurgh. If you really want to, just don't get me involved in your personal life, I don't want anything to do with it."

" _Nico di Angelo,_ " a voice suddenly boomed. Everyone turned quickly to the center of the amphitheater. There, at ten feet tall, in all her glory, stood Hecate, goddess of magic.

She shrunk down to a normal human size - still tall, but normal – when she spotted me. She strode my way, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I admit, I was nervous. I didn't know what she wanted with me, and I didn't like that.

Everyone was staring as Hecate stopped in front of me. "I have a task for you," she told me bluntly.I

couldn't believe it. "Are you serious?" Anger bubbled inside me. "Why me?"

"You're the third best one for the job," she said, as if it were obvious.

"What job?" I exclaimed. Then I paused and asked cautiously, "Who are the first two best people for the job? And why can't they do it?"

"Your sister Hazel refused to leave her boyfriend, Frank. Thalia Grace refused to abandon her post as Lieutenant of Artemis. You are, as I said, the third best thing."

I cursed under my breath. "What kind of task are we talking about?"

"Come, I'll explain it to you."

My eyes widened in realization. I sent Percy a pleading glance before Hecate put her hand on my shoulder and we disappeared.

We reappeared in my cabin, much to my pleasure. I was glad that we weren't on Olympus or something.

I walked to my bed and flopped down. "Explain."

Hecate sighed. "What do you know about Witches and Wizards?" she asked me.

"Very little," I replied. "All we demigods know as a whole is that years and years ago you remembered that time when you gods created the humans, and they took forever to perfect. You and Zeus had gotten into an argument, you saying that you could build the perfect race in one try, and Zeus saying you couldn't.

"You reminded him and you started arguing again. You were saying you wanted to make the perfect magical people, and Zeus said it was impossible to do on the first try.

"Athena suggested you make a bet. If you managed to build a race of magical people that half of the race didn't die out within fifty years, he would lend you power so you could make their magic more powerful. Actual magic, instead of just illusions with the mist.

"And if Zeus won, he would get to kill off what was left of them however he wanted, no matter how sadistic.

"You won, their magic became real instead of an illusion, which, consequently made them somewhat egotistical for a century or two, making them completely forget the gods. We don't know what they're up to now, though."

Hecate looked impressed. "Yes, hero. Surprisingly, that is exactly what happened. I call their realm my little pet world." She chuckled.

"Anyway, there is a magic school for witches and wizards located in Scotland. There has been a war in Britain for the past few years that damaged the school and put it in constant danger. The war is over now, but no one is very eager to take the teacher position that is left empty. I want you to take it, Nico." Hecate admitted.

I laughed humorlessly. "Ha! I'm not even a wizard! How am I supposed to teach people?"

Hecate smiled. "Sometimes, when I see that a very special mortal is born, I bless them with the power of magic. Even mortals that have never had any magical blood in their family since we created the witches and wizards sometimes have magical children. It's a blessing that I give only to those that I know should have it. I can give you the blessing."

"And why should I accept this task?" I ventured.

Hecate gave me a wry smile. A small smile that did nothing to hide the melancholy in her features. "Because you're sad, Nico. You're so very, very sad here. You've been planning to get away for weeks, but you didn't want to miss Percy's bachelor party. Because you love him."

I was about to tell her how wrong she was, that I'm over him, but she didn't let me.

"Yes, I'm aware. It is not a romantic sort of love, no, not anymore, but more of an unbreakable bond of friendship and understanding that will outlive any inevitable quarrel." She scrunched her nose. "Though you don't show it as much."

I exhaled all the air that I didn't even know I had in my lungs. "You're right. Where do I start?"

Hecate smiled genuinely. "Pack your bags, you and Will Solace are going to England."

I raised my arms. "Wow, wow, wow. You never said anything about Will Solace, Lady Hecate."

She scratched her chin. "I didn't? Oh, well, the school nurse unfortunately left the school, so I also needed him. But it's too late to change your mind. Tomorrow morning I will meet you both at the top of Half-Blood Hill. There, I will give you both the blessing.

"The ability to use magic will come slowly, along with complete knowledge of the Wizarding world. After twenty four hours, the blessing will be complete, and you will have all your magic and wisdom.

"You will have a very advanced magical skill level, much higher than any normal wizard in their twenties. Though you will be most exceptional at specific types of magic. You will be exceptional in the Dark Arts and their defenses, and Will, Healing Magic.

"I will then transport you to a small inn located in England where you will stay for a bit. You will not do anything, but await further instructions."

Hecate looked down at me and smiled. "Good luck, and goodbye for now, hero." She disappeared.

* * *

 **Hello, readers!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this Pilot Chapter thing.**

 **Umm, sorry about _All's Fair in Love and War,_ I hadn't updated, and then I got inspired to do this! My ADHD mind is just all over the place at the moment!**

 **I hope to see you again for the next chapter.**

 _ **\- Pandemonium King**_


	3. Chapter 2: Harry

**Warnings: Depression, LGBTQ+ characters and ships (if you have a problem with that, you can kindly exit the story and row, row, row your boat gently off a cliff. Thank you)**

 **Note: I may need to add more warnings in the future, if I decide to add more elements to the story that require warnings, such as swearing**

* * *

 **Remedy for Resistance**

 ** _Pandemonium King_**

 **Chapter** **Two: Harry**

* * *

I opened my eyes a smiled to myself. Light streamed in through the windows of Ron's room. Well, for now it was our room, I'm actually putting off contacting the Dursleys for as long as I possibly can.

I knew that I had two amazing best friends, a wonderful girlfriend, and an amazing couple who actually want to look after me by choice, like the parents I never had, all under the same roof.

And best of all, they were all safe. Because we defeated the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, together. And all of the other families in Britain, maybe even all of Europe, were also safe from his sadistic wrath.

I looked over at Ron's bed, it was empty. I took my wand from the bedside table right next to me and gave it a swish. The time appeared in the air in front of me. It was half past eight in the morning.

I sighed. I might as well get up, I wasn't that tired anyway.

After getting dressed and brushing my teeth, and pointlessly running my fingers through my hair a few times, I came down the stairs, smiling brightly.

"Oh, good morning dear." Mrs. Weasley smiled brightly when she saw me. "Would you like some breakfast?"

Before I could reply, she was already waving her wand, and a plate full of eggs and bacon and a glass of orange juice all magically floated to the table and landed in the seat next to Ron.

I thanked her and sat down beside Ron, who was smiling just as brightly as everyone else in the room. "Morning, Harry. Sleep well?"

My smile faltered, but it was back quickly. "Yes, actually. I slept great."

"Oh, that's wonderful, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed from the other seat beside Ron. "You know, you haven't had a nightmare for two days now. I know that doesn't sound like much, but if you continue like this you won't have to take some of those pills that St. Mungos recommended for the nightmares."

I shuddered. "I don't want to have to go back there every month for a new box of those pills. Standing in line for a new prescription every three months is just awful," Mrs. Weasley said, giving her husband Arthur a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodbye, everyone, have a good day." He said, walking to the door. He stopped at the last moment. "Oh, by the way, I er, may have forgotten to mention, everyone is invited back for a redo of their last year. The letters should arrive today." He hurried out before Mrs. Weasley could think too hard about what he said that he had forgotten to mention.

Hermione was suddenly thrilled. "A redo of our year? Fantastic! I've been wondering if we could do that, sense we missed it completely!"

"Yay," Ron said in a sarcastic, monotonic voice.

"Oh, hush, Ron! Harry can even learn how to apparate this year!"

I stopped shoveling food into my mouth long enough to swallow and look at Hermione. "You're completely right, Hermione. I didn't even think of that!"

She wrinkled her nose and looked at me. I definitely had food around my mouth. "Clearly."

I heard a hoot from outside. We all looked out the window. An owl was flying towards us, it looked like it was going to crash into the closed window. I closed my eyes in anticipation of the painful smacking sound, but in never came. The owl had slightly swooped up at the last second and was now fluttering outside the window, waiting to deliver its letter.

Mrs. Weasley leaned over the kitchen counter and opened the window, letting the messenger bird in. it flew over and dropped four letters on the table, then it flew right out.

I reached over and took the letters. I handed Ron's letter to Ron, Hermione's to Hermione, I put Ginny's back down, and opened my own.

 _Mr. Harry Potter,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you along with the rest of the school have been invited back to Hogwarts to redo the past year._

 _Coming back is mandatory, as the school had not taught nearly as many things as it needed to in the past year._

 _The school will also be joined by the students going into their first years, meaning last year's first year students will have double the amount of students among them._

 _You will be reentered into your seventh year._

 _We await your owl,_

 _Sincerely, Deputy Headmaster Professor R. Hagrid._

 _P.S, Harry! I'm head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmaster!_

I grinned. "Hagrid's Deputy!" I exclaimed. "Good for him!" Hermione said happily.

Mrs. Weasley sighed, but she was smiling. "I suppose that means less Galleons, more books. At least it's not Lockhart, his books cost a fortune. What a greedy fraud.

* * *

 **Hello, readers.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter of _Remedy for Resistance_.**

 **Sorry for that boring ending and the fact that the chapter is short, but it was really just a filler and there is no more plot to it.**

 **As always, I hope to see you again for the next chapter.**

 **Bye!**

 ** _\- Pandemonium King_**


	4. Chapter 3: Will

**Warnings: Depression, LGBTQ+ characters and ships (if you have a problem with that, you can kindly exit the story and row, row, row your boat gently off a cliff. Thank you)**

 **Note: I may need to add more warnings in the future, if I decide to add more elements to the story that require warnings, such as swearing**

* * *

 **Remedy for Resistance**

 ** _Pandemonium King_**

 **Chapter** **Three: Will**

* * *

When Lady Hecate had told me I was going to a magical school as a nurse and doctor, it didn't sound so fun. My mind changed as soon as she gave me the details.

It would be with Nico.

That's the details.

You know, I kind of like him. Everyone at camp knows we're both gay, but no one would think that we would ever have any sort of feelings for each other. I mean, I'm the quirky, bubbly, happy-go-lucky, son of Apollo who's embarrassed of his singing voice every time he has to use it for healing purposes, I'm the last person anyone would expect to have feelings for the gloomy son of Hades.

But every time Nico looks at me… I kind of just… feel something. Like my stomach just broke, and now I have a black hole inside of me, and it's sucking everything into it. My breath, my heart, my dinner, the thing that's keeping my legs from turning into gelatin.

I know, that sounds stupid, but I seriously think I might be developing some sort of crush.

As soon as Hecate disappeared, I grabbed my suitcase from under my bunk in the Apollo cabin. I started finding every object I thought I would need in the next year and stuffed it into the suitcase.

Suddenly, I had a thought. "Hecate!" I called. I heard someone sigh behind me. "Yes, Will?"

"Do things like Nectar and Unicorn Draught work on wizards and witches?" I asked urgently.

"Yes. And, I know either you or Nico are going to ask this later on, Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold weapons that usually would not work on anything but monsters and demigods also work on them. Goodbye." She disappeared, sending a passive-aggressive gust of wind outwards from the spot in which she was standing.

I moved my hair away from my face, the wind and messed it up. I stood there for a moment before realizing what I was doing and continued packing.

* * *

I was sitting on my bed looking at the wall. I was sad that I had missed Percy's bachelor party; I really wanted to be there. The Apollo cabin was completely empty because all the girls had also thrown Annabeth a bachelorette party on the same night.

Soon everyone started coming back, and I had to break the news to them.

"You're leaving for _how_ long!?" my half sister, Kayla Knowles shouted. "And with _who!?_ "

Kayla is the only person who knows about my feelings for Nico besides my best friend Lou Ellen Blackstone.

"A year," I said quietly. "Nico di Angelo," I said even quieter.

Kayla and Lou Ellen, who was also there, threw their hands in the air in exasperation.

"Look, Will," Lou Ellen told me, "I'm happy that you're sort of pursuing your dreams of becoming a nurse, but did you really have to wait until the last moment to tell us?"

"Blame Hecate! She just told _me!_ " I said defensively.

The words _DON'T BLAME HECATE_ shimmered suddenly in the air between us.

"Eurgh!" Lou Ellen screeched in frustration. "I'm going to kill her!"

The words _I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY_ then also shimmered in the air. Then, _ALSO, WHAT A RUDE THING TO SAY TO YOUR MOTHER_. Lou Ellen screeched again and stomped off.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up at 5 AM, thanks to my dad, as he rode his sun chariot across the sky, he screamed to me inside my head, "Wake up, son! Get it? Sun!"

I groaned, sat up and rubbed my eyes, as if I could rub the tired away. I couldn't. So instead, I took a yellow, gold and white striped tee-shirt and jeans and went to change in the bathroom.

When I came out, Kayla was sitting on my bed. I approached her slowly, as if she were a wild leopard I was trying to tame. When she was angry, she could definitely be as vicious as one.

I sat down beside her and took her in my arms. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in the crook of my neck. Tears stained the shoulder of my shirt.

I gave her a kiss on the cheek and caressed her hair.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Will." She sobbed quietly.

"I'll be back in a year," I whispered. "I swear it on the river Styx, Kayla, I'll be back. Hecate even assured Chiron that it's not a dangerous quest. The school has magical borders only so different from our own. There will always be monsters, Kayla, but even there, there will barely be any."

Kayla pulled away and eyed me carefully; her cheeks glistened with dry tears. She nodded solemnly, "If you die, Will, I swear to Dad I will kill you."

I gave her a wry chuckle. "I better not die, then."

* * *

Chiron and I stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill, as he was in his centaur form, he was much taller than me. He looked down at me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Be careful, Will. Even if there are pretty powerful borders around the school, there is always a threat lurking around every corner a demigod takes."

"And the In-?

"The Infirmary will be run primarily by your brother Austin while you're away," he assured me. "Now, where is Nico di Angelo?"

"I'm right here!" Nico exclaimed, running up the hill towards us. When he got to us, he put his hands on his knees and panted breathlessly. "I'm… here."

"Finally," I said, rolling my eyes. My cheeks felt warm as I looked at Nico, gasping for breath, sweating, but still as handsome as ever.

As always, he was wearing all black: black jeans, black high-top converse, and a thin black sweatshirt over a shirt which I also assumed to be black.

I couldn't see his arm, but I knew that under the fabric of his sweatshirt was his only tattoo.

After the war with Gaia, Nico had decided to resume his position as ambassador of Pluto, shadow travelling between both of the camps and doing his ambassador-y stuff. As a member of both camps, Nico had decided to get the SPQR tattoo, as it is mandatory at Camp Jupiter.

Seven lines were now burned into his skin as a reminder of seven years of survival.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Hecate, who had appeared beside us and scared the living daylight out of me and Nico, though not Chiron.

"Nico, Will." She nodded at our mentor. "Chiron."

Chiron nodded back at her, Nico and I kneeled slightly. "Lady Hecate."

Hecate dismissed the greeting with a wave of her hand. "We have no time for welcomes; we need to get you to England. I hope you've said your goodbyes, because you lost your chance by now."

"Yes," I said, at the same time as Nico said "No."

I looked over at him incredulously, eyes widening. I was about to say something, but Nico was just looking straight at Hecate, his face void of any emotion, so I decided against it.

"Are you ready to receive the blessings?" Hecate inquired.

Nico and I both nodded. Hecate took a step towards me, put her hands on my shoulders, and started chanting under her breath in a mix of Ancient Greek and Latin. This lasted for about a minute, then she did the same to Nico.

Nico shrugged. "I don't feel any different." I looked down at myself and realized that he was right. We didn't even look any different.

"Patience, heroes," Hecate told us. "Your knowledge will reach you over time. You should know everything you're supposed to by the next 24 hours, as I've told you yesterday. Now," she held out her hands, "hold on."

Nico took Hecate's left hand while I took her right. Chiron patted each of us on the shoulder. "Goodbye, children. You will be missed."

"We're not _dying_ ," Nico grumbled. "You don't have to say it like that."

Chiron raised a single eyebrow. "Be careful and you won't end up dead. Knowing you, Nico, you will be reckless, but you are also a good fighter. You never know."

I stifled a snort. It was true. But if anything happened to Nico, I will heal him.

"Are you ready?" Hecate asked. We barely had a chance to answer before we disappeared.

It was like shadow travelling, only worse. I felt like my brain had fallen into my stomach, flipped upside down, turned to liquid, turned back into a solid, a shot back up into my skull.

I carefully and slowly opened my eyes. We were standing inside a dank, dim, and dusty room. Judging from the bar, the tables, and the look of the beverages people were drinking, I deduced that we were in a bar.

I looked up at Hecate, still much taller than me. Then I looked at Nico, who was completely still and collected, like the trip we just took was no different from shadow travel.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"The Leaky Cauldron. A small inn located in London. It has a direct entrance to Diagon Alley, one of the main national Wizarding shopping centers of England. Come." Hecate led us towards the bar, where a small old man was tending to customers.

"Tom," Hecate said. The old man looked up at her, about to say something, but Hecate snapped her fingers, and he seemed to forget what he wanted to say.

"Right this way," he said instead. He put down the large glass he was cleaning and started walking towards a set of stairs. He hobbled up the stairs with only slight difficulty, but with our luggage, Nico and I had some trouble.

With our enhanced demigod strength, it wasn't hard, and it didn't tire us out to pull our luggage up the stairs, but it did slow us down.

"Leave it," Hecate said to us. Bewildered, Nico and I left out luggage on the tenth step and caught up with Tom. Looking down at our luggage, I hoped no one would steal it, and then walked away.

After two floors, Tom stopped. He pulled out a stick, no, a wand, I somehow knew, and, pointing it up slightly, said, "Accio luggage."

I looked down, and, what do you know, my suitcase was right next to me, as if it never left my side. "Neat. Summoning charm," I said, suddenly knowing what just happened.

Tom pointed to a door with a plaque that read the number _152_ on it. "This room's yours," he said, pointing to me. Then he pointed to the door right beside mine, _142_. "His." He pointed to Nico.

He handed each of us a key a left without another word.

Hecate had been watching Tom hobble down the stairs and out of sight, then she turned to us.

"I'll check up on you two tomorrow. For now, enjoy the rest of your day. I'll see you both this time tomorrow." And with that, she disappeared.

* * *

 **Hello, readers!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter of _Remedy for Resistance_.**

 **Seeing as it's not exactly a filler nor plot-y, I managed to stretch it out as long as I could. I hope it's long enough for you.**

 **As always, I hope to see you again for the next chapter.**

 **Bye!**

 ** _\- Pandemonium King_**


	5. Chapter 4: Nico

**Warnings: Depression, LGBTQ+ characters and ships (if you have a problem with that, you can kindly exit the story and row, row, row your boat gently off a cliff. Thank you)**

 **Note: I may need to add more warnings in the future, if I decide to add more elements to the story that require warnings, such as swearing**

* * *

 **Remedy for Resistance**

 ** _Pandemonium King_**

 **Chapter Four: Nico**

* * *

I pushed my key into the lock. I turned it slowly. I could hear the lock click. I pushed the door open.

My room was average looking. Seeing as I wasn't exactly in a five star beach resort on the coast of Hawaii, the room looked kind of dirty, maybe a little crooked.

Closing and locking the door behind me, I walked in, dropping my suitcase on the creaking floorboards. I glanced around.

There was a small bathroom, a desk with a mirror hanging over it, as if to be a vanity, and a bed pushed up against the wall with a nightstand on each side of it.

I closed the door behind me and placed the key on the desk on my way to the bed.

I sat down at the end of my bed and sighed, kicking my shoes off, then swinging my feet back and forth in the spirit of boredom. The dull, colorless room did nothing to help the case, although it wasn't as if I wanted any colors. I hate bright things.

I heard a knock on the door. Being too lazy to get up, I summoned a skeleton to open the door for me.

"Hey, neighb-" said a cheery voice cut short. "Nico, what did I tell you about underworld-y stuff?"

I scowled at the blonde at the door. "You mean seven years ago? Not to do it? Are you kidding?" I waved my hand and the skeleton melted into the ground. "Let yourself in, I guess," I said, falling backwards onto the covers.

I heard the door close and the soft taps of Will's shoes on the wood floor as he walked over and sat beside me on my bed.

"Hey, Death Boy," he said softly.

"Don't call me that," I said through clenched teeth.

"Neeks?"

" _No_."

"Nico," he said exasperatedly.

"Yes, William?" I replied innocently.

" _Ha ha,_ " he said. "Funny."

I sat up and looked at him. He wasn't smiling anymore. "What is it you even wanted, again?"

His face lit up as he smiled once again. "I'm _so_ bored. There's nothing to do," he complained.

"There's the whole of London outside, what do you want me to do about it?" I asked, annoyed.

"I want to hang out with you, Nico! Come on, seriously!" He pouted.

I chuckled and lay back down. "We're not friends, Solace. You were my doctor for three days after the war with Gaea _seven_ years ago. We've talked about ten times since then."

"And whose fault is that?" Will asked, almost angrily, as if he was blaming me. Which, by the way, was ridiculous. Why would he blame me? Fury bubbled inside me, swirling in my gut, climbing up my esophagus and escaping from my mouth.

"Yours, of course!" I said, now furiously sitting up again. "Whose do you think? I never wanted to be friends! Why are you blaming me for not making the first move into something that _you_ want? If you want something, Will, you have to act on it! You shouldn't expect others to do it for you!

"You want to be everyone's friend, Will, but you don't understand that not everyone wants to be _your_ friend! You can't wait for people to come to you like always; you have to go to them." I inhaled through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. "I learned that the hard way."

Will's face went from shocked, to hurt, to really hurt, to shocked, and again to hurt.

"Are- are you talking about Percy?" he asked, standing up furiously.

I, too, stood up to face him. "Why the Hades would I be talking about _Percy?_ " I almost screamed.

Will looked like he was about to answer, but thought better of it. There was no noise for about two seconds, when realization dawned on me.

"Are you serious? You're bringing that up? That happened like, _ten_ years ago, and you're bringing it up!? Really? I can't believe you, Solace! That's low!" at first I yelled, then my voice slowly became quieter, until I became deadly calm.

Will inhaled deeply and exhaled. He raised his hands in surrender. "You're right. I brought up a ridiculous point, and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry." He hung his head. "Please forgive me."

I sighed and crossed my arms. I tapped my foot on the floor and rolled my eyes. "I forgive you."

He looked up again and grinned at me brightly. "Does this mean we can be friends now?"

I scowled. "Maybe tomorrow, Will. I really need some alone time right now. Sorry."

He looked surprised for a moment. "No, no! It's really okay. Everyone needs their alone time, I understand." He flashed me a smile, which for some reason made my cheeks warm. Hmm, maybe it's the whole Apollo/Sun thing, making the room warm when Will's happy.

He started slowly walking to the door. When he reached it, he unlocked it, opened it, gave me one more smile, and headed out, closing the door behind him.

I sighed, falling backwards onto my bed. I closed my eyes, wanting to fall asleep, but I found that I was not nearly tired enough to.

I thought that maybe if I just lay there and let my mind wander, I would eventually fall asleep, so that's what I did.

My mind wandered for a while, I don't know for how long, before it wandered into a trap. A single thought that once I thought about it, my mind couldn't go anywhere else. I just could not get it out of my head.

 _What_ did _I mean when I said_ "I learned that the hard way" _?_

I thought about it for a while. And then I thought about it for another while.

I just could not figure out what came out of my own mouth.

After I thought for a third while, I think I finally figured it out.

I've always felt like I was missing something. A person, perhaps. I've always known that I'm an outcast, the emo son of Hades nobody wants to talk to, or be friends with.

Of course, I have my friends, my sister, and yet I've still always felt it. The emptiness. The feeling that something, or _someone,_ is missing.

I thought back to yesterday, when I told myself I wanted a boyfriend, and realized I may have actually meant it.

That's it. That's what I need.

 _Love._

Now, where am I going to find _that?_

 _So that's what I meant,_ I thought to myself. _I regret not making a move, and finding love. Because no one is coming to me. I need to go to them._

That thought both relaxed me, and made me tense. I mean, I finally figured out what I was missing, and I finally figured out what I meant, but then again, knowing that I'll probably never find someone is such a scary thought. Knowing that I _need_ someone is even scarier.

I always thought I could do everything by myself. That I could live on my own and not give a damn about anything or anyone else. But I can't.

I do need someone. Everyone does. But I don't even believe in soulmates, or any of that _love at first sight_ garbage. And I know that there is no one out there who can make me feel the same way I used to feel about Percy oh so long ago.

Knowing that there is nothing to be done, I tried to sleep again, but just as I closed my eyes again, I got a splitting headache.

"Agh!" I shot up, clutching my head in my hands, breathing deeply. I let out a string of curses in a mix of Ancient Greek, Latin, Italian, and English.

My vision blurred, black spots danced before my eyes, I felt myself going unconscious, but before I did, I heard a voice in my head, which I recognized as Hecate's.

 _"I conveniently left out the detail that the blessing will do this to you. This usually doesn't happen when I bless mortal babies, but the blessing I gave you is special. You're not just getting the ability to do magic, you're also getting the knowledge of how to use it, and the knowledge of the Wizarding world._

 _"When you wake up tomorrow, you will know everything about anything. And you won't need to feel this pain again. Also, the jetlag will be gone. Sleep well!"_

After that, the last thing I felt was my head hitting the pillow before I passed out.

* * *

 **Hello, readers!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter of _Remedy for Resistance_.**

 **As always, I hope to see you again for the next one.**

 **Bye!**

 ** _\- Pandemonium King_**


	6. Chapter 5: Hermione

**Remedy for Resistance**

 _ **Pandemonium King**_

 **Chapter Five: Hermione**

* * *

Are you sure that's what it says?" I asked Ron as we walked down Diagon Alley with Harry, Ginny, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"For the last time, Hermione, it says right here, look!" Ron handed me the parchment list of items we needed for the upcoming school year.

Just as Ron had said, the last things on the list indeed were:

• _Wooden blade (knife, dagger, sword, etc.)_

 _or_

 _Bow and arrows (rubber arrowheads)_

• _Blunt metal/stone blade (must be the same type of blade as the wooden one)_

 _or_

 _Arrows with blunt metal/stone arrowheads (if you purchased the bow)_

"But why would we need those sorts of weapons?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know." Harry shrugged. "Maybe there's a new subject, or they're for a mandatory activity or something."

"Well, I don't see how this has been approved by the ministry, it's bonkers, I tell you!" Mrs. Weasley huffed heatedly. "It's completely useless. Now that You Know Who is really actually gone, there isn't really much threat!"

"Besides," I said, my nose wrinkling, "you can't bring a knife to a gunfight."

Everyone looked at me. "A what fight?" Ginny asked.

"A gunfight. With guns." Harry explained, or, well, tried to.

"What's a gun?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "It sounds harmless. Like gum."

I was about to explain, but Mr. Weasley beat me to it. "Oh! Is it- wait! It's- it's- this little thing, right? And- and it has little things in it, and- and then if you set it off, then- then the little things come flying out, right? You following, dear? And these little things- they're incredibly dangerous! And if one hits you, it can kill you, depending on where it hits you, of course."

He grinned maniacally. "Did I get that right, Harry? Hermione?"

Harry hesitated. "Erm, yeah."

Ginny shrugged. "I still don't understand. Also, what does bringing a knife to a gunfight have to do with this?"

"Well," I started to explain, "it's a saying, a phrase, and it means exactly what it sounds like. You can't bring a knife to a gunfight, as in, you can't bring something to a challenge that will be completely useless to you, even if it is useful elsewhere. And what I'm saying is you can't bring a weapon like one of these to a wizard's duel."

Everyone mumbled in agreement as we continued walking. We walked for a little while more, looking for somewhere that sells weapons, but we couldn't find anything, and eventually ended up at the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

"This is hopeless!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Where are we going to find a store that sells weapons, for Merlin's sake?"

"Molly, dear, we could always try another alley," Arthur Weasley suggested.

"Like Knockturn Alley? I don't think so, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley scoffed.

"What about Barren Alley? I heard it's not too bad there," Ginny suggested.

Mrs. Weasley hesitated. "Oh, alright. I suppose we need to get them _somewhere._ Come on, then."

Mrs. Weasley started walking again. Her pace was quick and nervous, as people are when entering unfamiliar places.

I immediately noticed when we had reached Barren Alley. The difference between it and Diagon Alley was immense. First off, Barren Alley looked like an abandoned street that some people adopted and only bothered to clean up so much. There were almost no people bustling about, which was lucky, because the pavement was very narrow and only allowed about four adult people to be walking side by side with less than any room to spare.

Everything there was incredibly dusty. If you looked up, you could see the light blue sky clearly. The shops and buildings curved backwards at the roofs, so there was nothing blocking the beautiful blue from view.

The whole alley had a sort of dusty yellow tint to it, if that makes sense. I heard a creaking sound and tensed, looking around for the source, only to discover that the broken window of an abandoned shop was only swinging with the breeze.

"What happened to this place?" I asked.

Mr. Weasley sighed. "Death Eaters." And the conversation ended there.

We continued walking for a bit until a little old lady jumped out from a shop and into our path, startling us.

The little old lady had a kind, wrinkled face, a big smile, and beautiful and sparkling faint blue eyes. She was wearing a faded blue tunic, a white apron was tied around her neck and waist, and a white bandana with blue polka dots was tied around her head from the front, slightly resembling small dotted bunny ears. She was holding a platter, and on the platter were what seemed to be colorful cookies. Blue cookies, red cookies, purple cookies, and more.

"Would you like to buy some cookies?" the little old lady looked up at us and asked in a voice kind enough to rival Mrs. Weasley's.

"Oh, thank you, but I have to decline, Ma'am," Mrs. Weasley answered in an equally kind voice.

The old woman's face fell. "Oh, please! It's for my grandson, he's starting school this year and I can't afford it."

"Your grandson is starting Hogwarts this year?" Ron asked.

The old woman shifted uncomfortably. "Umm, no. He's a muggle, he's going to muggle school. He's only six years old."

"Muggle? Do you mean squib?" I asked.

The old lady shook her head sadly. "No, I mean muggle. I'm a muggle." The woman knew we were going to try and say something, and she didn't let us. "Years ago, when my husband died, I found out that his brother was a muggleborn wizard, which means I also found out about the entire Wizarding world. Cornelius Fudge discovered that, and forced me to transfer into the Wizarding world so that I could not tell anyone.

"It's so incredibly hard to make a living here without magic, so I opened my bakery years ago, making cookies and pastries and all sorts of things the muggle way.

"But a few years ago, those Death Eaters destroyed this whole alley. No one comes here anymore, and no one buys anything, and I don't have any money.

"My daughter was killed by her husband when she unintentionally found out he was a Death Eater, only using her for money, as our bakery was still a success back then, leaving her son, my beautiful grandson Lucas in my care. Won't you please spare a few Galleons?"

Without hesitation, Harry stepped forward. "How much for a large package of colorful cookies?" he asked, smiling genuinely.

The woman looked surprised. "Umm... two Galleons," she said.

"I'll take three," Harry told her.

The woman sighed in relief and practically fell onto Harry, hugging him. She ran into the shop for a few moments then came back out holding three large colorful boxes of cookies. A little boy of about six who I could only assume to be Lucas followed her out of the shop and hid behind her.

Harry had six Galleons out, which he handed over to the lady in return for the cookies.

"Oh, bless your soul, dear boy! Oh, have a wonderful day! Oh, thank you so much!" the lady thanked Harry profusely and then proceeded to wave at us and smile, Lucas hugging her legs, until we turned a corner and could not see her anymore.

"That was so kind of you, Harry." Ginny told him, blushing. Harry turned scarlet and hid his face in his hands, murmuring a muffled _thank you_.

We continued walking for about a minute before Ron, who had nobly volunteered to carry the cookies so that he could secretly eat them, almost dropped all them onto the dirty ground.

"Careful!" I hissed.

Ron muttered an apology. Mr. Weasley turned around and said, "Here, allow me." He took out his wand and pointed it at the cookie boxes, mumbling something. Instantly, they disappeared. "There," he said. "Now they're back at the Burrow."

"Thanks," Ron muttered, clearly disappointed that he could no longer eat the cookies when we weren't looking.

We continued walking for a few more minutes, when Ginny exclaimed, "Look! Over there! That store has weapons in the window!"

Indeed, the store to which Ginny was pointing did in fact have a variety of weapons on display.

We entered the shop and looked around. In the back of the store was a reception desk, behind it sat a man reading a book with his feet on the counter. The walls were covered with swords, bows and quivers, daggers, short swords, and more.

Mr. Weasley told us to look around while he spoke with the man behind the desk, but we knew he was just making up excuses to go examine the weapons by himself. We all spread out through the store, looking for something that caught our eyes.

I ran my hand across the wall, my hand doing a little jump every time it ran over a sheathed weapon, like a car when it comes across a bump in the road.

I was pondering the pros and cons of long ranged weapons when something caught my eye.

A little over a meter away from me, on the wall, hung a bow. The bow was different from any other bow I had seen hanging on the walls. It's simple yet efficient design was unlike all the extravagant, vain bows, with shapes carved in, and useless accessories.

I went over to the bow and took it off the wall. I played with the string as if it were a harp. I held the bow as if I were a professional archer. I pretended to shoot my enemies with my defining precision. The bow felt perfect in my hands, like worn out old shoes that have already been broken in, and seem as if they are made for your feet. Comfortable and familiar to the touch.

I knew immediately that I would become an archer the coming year, the best archer in the class, and if anyone threatens something dear to me, I will shoot them in the shoulder, as a warning, because I am no killer.

I looked up and saw Harry holding a sword in his hands. I didn't know exactly what he was doing, but it seemed to me that he was examining the weight of the weapon, testing it, to see if it would be any good in a battle, or just another bump in the road, an extra weight, slowing him down, like a ball and chain.

In another corner of the room, Ron was holding a dagger, examining it like Harry and I had been doing with our chosen weapons.

Lastly, I also saw Ginny, holding a very small knife, juggling it from hand to hand while Mrs. Weasley fussed, scared that she will hurt herself. The knife was so small, I couldn't understand how it would be any use in battle, but then I realized it was actually a single throwing knife.

A few minutes later, we all met back up near the counter. Ginny complimented me on my choice of weapon. She said it was very fitting. I thought her choice of weapon was also very fitting. I could just imagine her in a battle, ferociously throwing knives left and right with precision, like her fierce personality. Small, but definitely deadly and exact when given a reason to be. A personality as fiery as her hair.

Ron also seemed to have chosen a fitting weapon. Like a dagger, he doesn't look like much, but when put in a position too close to danger, he will attack, even blindly, in order to keep those he loves safe. I blush at the thought of him wielding a dagger for me, even if he would also do it for anyone else.

Harry's choice of weapon seemed just as fitting as ours, maybe even more. A sword, the weapon a leader who stands tall and brave, able to attack and defend at the same time. Not afraid to get close to danger and present his skills, even if he doesn't have many, in order to protect people he doesn't even know. To push past a hesitant crowd and risk his own life for others.

We walked up to the counter and the man who was sitting behind it, reading a book with his feet up and without a care in the world, abruptly took his feet down and sat up straight, frantically closing the book and putting it down.

"Yes?" he asked, eyeing us warily.

"Erm- hello, yes, we would like to purchase some things...?" Mr. Weasley told the man, almost as a question. It was obvious to everyone that Mr. Weasley has never seen himself needing to buy weapons, and had no idea how to handle the situation.

The man nodded and pulled his chair closer to the desk. "What'll it be, then?"

"Er- a... um- dagger, throwing knives, a sword, and a bow and arrows," Mr. Weasley told the man timidly.

The man gestured for us to show him what we were buying. We all put our chosen weapons on the counter. I, as you know, had chosen a simple wooden bow.

Harry had also chosen a simple weapon. His sword was around three feet long, with a plain metal blade and a hilt, just as plain.

Ron's dagger seemed to be made of sharpened stone.

Ginny's choice of throwing knives was not as simple. It was obviously very small, and it looked almost delicate. The hilt was black as night, and the iron blade shone almost as brightly as silver. One edge of the blade was almost unnoticeably, yet upon closer inspection, definitely, jagged enough to cut through wood. While the other edge of the blade was as smooth and sharp as chiseled glass.

The man behind the counter inspected the weapons and nodded to himself. He looked back at us and said, "I assume you also want them in a wooden model?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded.

The man went into the back of the store, where we couldn't see him, and came back a moment later with a pile of things in his arms. He moved our weapons aside and dropped the pile onto the desk where our weapons were just a moment before.

He handed Harry a newer, unused sword, exactly like the one on display, and another one, of the same length and size and identical to the other, only wooden and much less dangerous.

The man handed me a newer bow, also the same as the one on display. He also held up a leather quiver and said, "This quiver is perfect for your body type and arrows that work the best with that bow." He held up two arrows. One arrow had a rubber arrowhead, and the other had a metal arrowhead. "If you purchase the quiver and an arrow," the man continued, "you will never need more arrows again. The quiver is enchanted to always summon an arrow back to it after being taken out and shot. I would recommend one of these arrows, as they work well with the bow. I would also recommend you buy more than one. Summoning an arrow back could take anywhere from ten seconds to a minute, and you might be missing an arrow when you need it most, so it's good to have extra."

I thought for a moment, but ultimately decided that the enchanted quiver was a very good thing to have. I took the quiver and ten of each arrow and was ready to pay the extra money when the time to pay came around.

Ron was also handed a new dagger and a wooden one. And Ginny was also given an opportunity like mine. The man showed Ginny a belt with holsters for her knives that was also enchanted to summon them back. Mrs. Weasley let Ginny pay extra for the belt from her own money, which is exactly what Ginny did. She also, like the rest of us, got a normal, though blunt, versions of her weapon, along with a wooden ones.

The Weasleys paid for their items, and Harry and I paid for ours. We left the shop with our weapons sheathed and stuffed into bags. We made conversation as we walked back to Diagon Alley. At one point, I took my bow out of my bag and also grabbed an arrow with a rubber head. Without shooting it, I nocked the arrow and tested the bowstring's limits. I played around with my new instrument until we reached a fireplace in Diagon Alley, and I had to put it away so I could use the Floo Powder to get back to the Burrow.

I'm sure you can already tell, but I could barely wait to learn how to turn a curved piece of wood and a string into a lethal weapon.

* * *

 **Hel** **lo, readers!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter of** _ **Remedy for Resistance**_ **.**

 **This has nothing to do with the story, but I highly recommend you check out this song on YouTube by** _ **Jaiden Animations**_ **and** _ **Boyinaband**_ **called** ** _Empty._** **It's a gorgeous song about eating disorders. Jaiden used to suffer from Anorexia and Bulimia, and as a long time fan and someone who cares about her, the song is 10x more beautiful and I'm so damn proud and happy for her.**

 **The music video is so beautifully shot and so creative and amazing. The rap-** **esque** **style of the music is something that I'd never usually listen to on my own but the emotion that comes with the quickly-paced words just highlights their meaning and just how painful it is to hate your body more than what you'd do in order to love it.**

 **I have never struggled with any sort of eating disorder and I've never even given my body a second glance, but there are lyrics in the song that I, and probably everyone, can relate to anyway, and** _ **hard.**_ **For example,** _ **"You can't fool your body, you can only fool your mind."**_ **reminds me of how dangerous it can be to ignore obvious signs of mental disorders, or how awful it was for me up until I finally came to terms with my bisexuality. I tried to trick myself into thinking I was just paranoid, or just admiring other girls' beauty, wishing I could be that effortlessly beautiful, when really, deep down, I always knew those were things that no particularly straight person did.**

 **A** **nyway, I'm rambling like a person you hate just when you're about to do something important. I'll stop now. But seriously, check out the song.**

 **As always, I hope to see you again for the next chapter.**

 **Word count: 2,820 words (+ author's note: 3,137)**

 **Comment.**

 **Favorite.**

 **Follow.**

 **Bye!**

 ** _\- Pandemonium King_**


	7. Chapter 6: Will

**Remedy for Resistance**

 _ **Pandemonium King**_

 **Chapter Six: Will**

* * *

I woke up the next day feeling like I do every morning, usually a little sleepy, but well-rested and ready for the day. I sat up in my bed and looked down at myself. Seeing myself fully dressed in the clothes I wore yesterday, not even having the time to change into something else before I passed out, reminded me of my apparent suddenly complete knowledge of the Wizarding world.

I tried to think of something I could do or recall, as if remembering a piece of knowledge that I learned ages ago, except with skipping the process of actually learning it, but I could only recall random useless facts that I did not need and spells I could not perform without a wand.

I did, however, recall the exact amount of every ingredient needed to brew a magical flu remedy. It seemed like the easiest thing in the world, like tying one's shoelaces after having been tying them for years.

I also, to my surprise, recalled information that tied into the mythological world, knowing that only I, as a demigod, would know that. I happened to _know_ that a very popular alcoholic drink called Firewhiskey has a mild amount of the most harmless yet effective components of what makes the Phlegethon River one of the most effective healing substances in our world.

Although, rather than healing physical damage, Firewhiskey seems to heal more mental problems. Apparently, according to my new mind, the mix of the healing properties from the Phlegethon and the alcohol seems to create an effective anti-depressant, more efficient than any mortal pill or short-lasting bottle of liquid courage.

I don't know why my brain gave me this information in particular, but I had some ideas. What I really wanted, though, is a spell, but since, as I told you earlier, I did not have a wand, I just sifted through my mind looking for something magical that I could do at that moment, until I finally came across two things.

 _Apparition -_

 _Apparition is a magical method of transportation. A form of teleportation. It is by far the fastest way to get to one's desired destination, but is tricky to pull off correctly and disastrous if botched up._

I shuddered, knowing exactly what would happen if I botch it up when I try it.

 _Animagus -_

 _An animagus is a witch or wizard who can morph themselves into an animal at will._

I immediately knew that the first thing I would be doing that morning is turning into an animal. It had struck me that I may not be an animagus, but I decided it wouldn't hurt to try.

I concentrated on myself, I imagined my body shifting and morphing. Since I did not know what my animagus form would be if I had one, I just imagined my limbs and other body parts morphing into fluid, distorted, blobs.

All of a sudden I could feel myself changing. My limbs grew shorter, my face elongated, I grew shaggy hair all over my body, my bones altered themselves until I could no longer sit like I was sitting, and I fell backwards and onto my side, my limbs stiff.

I immediately got up and jumped off my bed. I could not see myself, and I still did not know what I was. I looked around frantically, looking for a mirror. I could not open the bathroom door in order to check the bathroom mirror. The small mirror on the desk was too small, and I could not see myself from my now short perspective.

I continued to glance around until my gaze landed on the closet. One of the doors was ajar, and I would have bet my new tail (did I mention I grew a tail?) there was a mirror on the inside.

I trotted over to it and attempted to further open the door with my paws (I had paws), but it was no use. It felt odd thinking this, but I got the brilliant idea to use my face. As I mentioned before, my face had become longer and wider, like a snout, so I guessed it wouldn't hurt to try it.

I stuck my nose in between the closet and the door, but it didn't quite fit, so I wriggled it in further and pushed it open.

Sure enough, on the inside of the closet door was a mirror and all I could do after I finally got to see my reflection was stare.

I had become a Golden Retriever.

The shaggy hair I had felt growing was in fact shaggy _fur_ , and it was of a beautiful golden color, almost the same color as my human hair. My new ears sat atop my head, relaxed and droopy. The only exact similarity I had between my animagus form and my human form were my eyes. My eyes were still of the same shade of bright sky blue.

After marveling at myself in the mirror for a bit longer, I had decided to turn back into my human self and begin my usual morning activities.

After turning back – which was surprisingly easy – and showering, brushing my teeth, running my fingers through my wet hair, as so on, I exited the bathroom.

As I walked over to my suitcase, a towel – provided by the Leaky Cauldron - around my waist, my hair dripping water droplets onto my bare chest, I noticed something on the desk that was definitely not there earlier.

I completely forgot about getting dressed and instead walked over to the mysterious something. It was a note, and on the note lay a few silver coins, a few more, much smaller, bronze coins, and a single, much larger, gold coin.

 _Sickles._

 _Knuts._

 _Galleons._

I moved the coins aside and read the note.

 _Will Solace,_

 _Here is a small amount of money for breakfast. I don't want you to starve to death, after all._

 _When both you and Nico are downstairs, I shall appear. I need to provide you with further instructions for your task. You may know much about the Wizarding World now, but you still know relatively nothing about how to carry on with the task._

 _I have also recently been informed that many little things within the Wizarding World have changed greatly since I have last been there. Any information that I did not posses when giving you the blessing has not been transferred to your mind, as you can imagine. There is still an inexact amount of pieces of knowledge that you may acquire during the year. It is too late now to give you another blessing. You will just have to figure some things out on your own. I recommend reading books, and a lot of them._

 _And, by the way, you can turn into a Golden Retriever._

 _Hecate._

After sighing at the fact that Hecate hadn't even checked in on her 'pet world' for so much time, I smiled to myself. Breakfast is just what the doctor ordered. I'm the doctor. Doctor who? Doctor Solace. Who else?

Really, all I need now is nice mug of coffee, a satisfying meal, and then it's over for that last bit of sleepiness.

After I dressed myself in a faded light blue t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of sandals, I made a quick decision to try and apparate to the lobby. If I was going undercover as a normal wizard, I needed to be sure of my abilities. If ended up losing a toe on my way down, better now than later.

I grabbed my room key, – so I would not get locked out, in case I could not apparate back in – and the money and put it in the front pocket of my shorts. As if my body was moving itself, I instinctively turned on the spot while concentrating on the lobby of the Leaky Cauldron.

I heard a loud cracking sound before everything went black for just a moment, then I reappeared in my desired location. It sort of felt like being squeezed through tubes that were too small for you to fit in them, but something on the other end of it is sucking you in, like a suction, and you have no choice but to be pulled along.

I felt dizzy for a short instant, but I just blinked firmly a few times, and I felt normal again. I shook my head, as if I were getting water out of my ears, and walked towards the bar.

I sat down in a stool and looked at the large menu that hung on the opposite wall. A hunched-over old man was tending to other customers, so I would have enough time to examine the menu before he came over.

"Can I get you something?" he asked me.

As he stood in front of me, I recognized him as the same man that led me and Nico to our rooms the previous day, but I don't think he remembered me, as he was in a sort of trance, induced by Hecate's magical finger snapping. I think his name is Tom. Sure enough, on a nametag pinned to his apron, the name _Tom_ was written in small letters.

"I- Uh- Yes. How much is it for a cup of coffee and a slice of toast with butter and cheese?" I asked.

"One Galleon, three Sickles, and seven Knuts," Tom replied.

I pushed my hand into my pocket and pulled out that exact amount of money, but it wasn't that the amount of money had changed, though apparently Hecate is an Oracle now.

I gave Tom the money, which he promptly stuffed into a pocket in his apron. He gave me an almost toothless grin and declared, "One cup of coffee and a slice of toast with butter and cheese, coming right up." And walked away.

I sat in my seat for a few more minutes, waiting for my breakfast. My ADHD was getting practically unbearable as I absentmindedly tapped my feet to the tunes of miscellaneous Beethoven compositions, such as _Für Elise,_ and, of course, his legendary, eternally famous _Fifth Symphony_.

I hadn't even realized I was doing it, and I hadn't even realized how loud it was, until I noticed I was getting some dirty looks from those who sat near me who could apparently hear me, and I became suddenly aware of my own actions.

I abruptly stopped tapping my feet and instead started fidgeting with my room key. I didn't need to fidget with it for long, though, because at one point Nico came and sat down beside me, saving me from my own boredom.

"Mornin'." He yawned.

"Good morning," I replied. "Sleep well?"

Nico sighed. "Well, I usually just glare at people when they ask that, but today I can't. I actually slept well, I guess, thanks to Hecate making me pass out, but I'm still tired. I'm always tired."

Nico was right, he looked utterly exhausted. He yawned every other moment. The dark bags under his eyes were slightly lighter than usual, but they were still very distinct. And his skin was as pale as ever.

"Why are you always tired? Have some coffee, it has caffeine in it. It'll wake you up."

Nico looked at me as if I had just said the most obvious thing in the world, which I guess I had. "No shit, Sherlock. Also, it's called fatigue. I'm shocked you didn't know that, _doctor_."

"Watch your profanity, di Angelo," I said. "And, you know, fatigue and depression, along with many other things, walk hand in hand. You should really try and get some help with that, instead of just sulking about it all the time."

But Nico wasn't listening; he was too busy ordering an Italian Latte from Tom.

We sat in comfortable silence for another minute or so, before a mug of generic, standard coffee and a plate with a slice of toast with butter and cheese seemed to melt into existence from thin air, right in front of me.

I took a sip of my coffee. It seemed to have no sugar in it, but it still tasted sweet to me, just the way I like it. I took a bite of my toast. It tasted heavenly to my empty, morning stomach. I could feel Nico stare longingly at my toast, which is odd, because he didn't order anything besides coffee and did not show any signs of wanting anything besides coffee up until he saw my toast.

I was going to offer Nico some of my toast, but I didn't get the chance. Another mug of coffee materialized in front of Nico, which he immediately grabbed with both hands and drank greedily, like the only reason he goes to sleep every night and wakes up every morning is for the sweet satisfaction of filling an empty stomach with warm, liquid, heaven after hours of restless sleep.

 _"Ah, proprio come faceva la mamma..."_ Nico sighed into his drink.

"What? Did you say something?" I asked, looking up from my own food.

Nico shook his head. "I was just remembering how my mama used to make her coffee... It tastes exactly the same... It's like they magicked the coffee here straight from 1940s Italy." Nico chuckled wryly. "Mama never finished a single mug of coffee. She always gave Bi what was left when it got cold, always around a whole quarter of what she had in the beginning.

"Mama didn't want me to have coffee when I was so small, but if Bi wasn't around, I'd get to have it... I remember telling Mama that it tasted like magic..."

Nico took another sip of coffee and scoffed. "I don't know why I'm even telling you this. Since getting my memories back, I haven't told anyone about anything I've remembered."

I sipped my own coffee, and said, "Because we're friends."

* * *

 **Hello, readers!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter of** _ **Remedy for Resistance**_ **.**

 **I literally wrote this chapter in, like, five hours, in one sitting. I know that one sitting is alright, but I don't know if five hours is, seeing as the chapter was fairly uneventful and a** _ **filler**_ **, though it definitely is not short.**

 **As always, I hope to see you again for the next chapter.**

 **Word count: 2,301 (+ Author's note: 2,383)**

 **Comment.**

 **Enjoy.**

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 **Bye!**

 ** _\- Pandemonium King_**


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